Norma (67) and Dennis Carrick, live in Raw and now devote themselves full-time to the animals.

Although they want good homes for a number of them, some they intend to keep themselves.

Among them are 10 Soya sheep which will join their flock of seven pet lambs.

Norma said: "They're brown and fawn with white rumps and look like little roe deer and they shed their coats so don't need shearing.

"They'll stay with us as pets and help to graze our garth."

An Aylesbury duck has been re-homed at Whitby Abbey pond but Gertie the goat from Hawsker, whose owner had died, will also stay with Norma and Dennis (74).

"She's about eight years old but as they can live to about twice that age she might outlive us."

Other rescued animals they intend to keep include Dan the greyhound and a chipmunk.

There are also two parakeets which object to the music from television soap Coronation Street.

Norma said: "It's a good thing we don't watch it but I often switch on to the end of it when I'm waiting for the next programme."

Animals looking for homes include two Staffordshire terriers, Bessie and Minnie.

Norma said: "Bessie is about four to six years old and is gentle and lovely and Minnie is a Staffie cross, aged about eight – she's a real fuss-pot.

"Then there's Charlie, a liver and white Springer spaniel, aged about 10 who was as good as gold in the car when we were bringing him here.

"Recently we homed two miniature Shetland ponies, a crossbreed and a full Shetland.

"And there's Smokey, a Burmese blue cat, who's settled down with our cat Spangles."

Norma and Dennis were among a group who began the Whitby Dog Rescue charity and they started rescuing animals about nine years ago.

Norma said: "Walking the dogs three times a day and caring for them all keeps us busy and we haven't had a holiday in 11 years. But we love it doing it."

Dennis was well known in the town some years ago when he was the second coxswain on Whitby lifeboat until 1980.

In the early 1980s the couple spent two years living on their own boat, touring European waterways.

If you are interested in finding out more about the animals at Raw Animal Rescue, call Norma and Dennis on (01947) 880583